NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – New York City is making progress in the fight against the Omicron variant, the mayor announced on Sunday.
Mayor Eric Adams said indicators show that cases are declining rapidly and that hospitalizations and deaths have also declined.
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“New Yorkers win,” Adams said. “The key indicators show that we are reversing the Omicron variant.”
The mayor also said the city will deliver COVID antiviral pills to eligible New Yorkers the same day, for free.
“Oral antiviral pills, such as Paxlovid and Molnupiravir, taken for five days help stop the virus from multiplying, reducing the amount of virus in the body and preventing symptoms from getting worse,” added Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi.
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The mayor said New York City is the leader in the country with 75% of residents fully vaccinated, including 85% of adults and 50% of children over 5 years of age.
He said 16.3 million vaccine doses have been administered throughout the city, along with 2.7 million booster shots.
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“The message is clear: Get vaccinated and stay up to date with your booster,” he said. “This pandemic is still here, it requires life.”
The city reported 2,300 COVID-related deaths this month alone.
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